Finding Me, Finding You (Finding #1) Read online

  Even though Max never had trouble making friends, he didn't care for popularity. He preferred the company of video games to actual people long before cliques were developed at our school. I, on the other hand, would have liked to have at least a few girlfriends. It would be nice to have someone who could relate to that time of the month or chat about cute boys, but I never really had anyone but Max. You would think that being on a soccer team or a swim team, I would have made friends, but that wasn't how it worked for me. I was awkward and insecure, which made making friends difficult. Even during summer practices, I didn’t really bond with my teammates on my new team. I was basically happy that they knew my name.

  When I was eleven, my whole soccer team spent the night at Marci Grayson's house. We went over after our game, swam in their pool, ate pizza, and watched a horror movie. First, I almost cried my eyes out during the movie because I was terrified. Then I hid behind one of the girls on my team that I thought was actually my friend. When I hid behind her, she shouted "Ew! Don't touch me lesbo!"

  I didn't even know what that meant at the time, but all of the girls started squealing. They continued teasing me throughout the night. Needless to say I was uncomfortable and didn’t want to spend the rest of the night with them. I hid in the bathroom and called Daddy to come get me. When he picked me up, he said, “What happened, kid? I thought you were really excited about the party?”

  My response was simply, “I don’t feel good.”

  When we arrived home, Daddy gave me a big hug when he tucked me into bed. He said, “Feel better, Mags. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Yes, Daddy. Good night.”

  He smiled and said, “Night, kid. Love you,” before he turned off my light and left me alone in the darkness of my bedroom.

  I hid in my room for the rest of the weekend. A couple of days later, a girl at school I thought was my friend told Max the true story of what happened a couple of days later at school. He asked me about it, but I wouldn’t tell him anything. He dropped it, and we went about our lives as if it never happened. He understood me. That was when I realized I didn't need any other friends other than Max. I stayed on the soccer team and ignored the rumors at school because I stopped caring what people who were never going to be my friends thought of me.

  Today the plan was to make one new friend, my roommate Sarah. I was nervous enough about this one objective. That was why I didn't argue when my mother picked out the hideous pink and white frilly bedding. It was also why I didn't argue when Catherine insisted on fixing my make-up as well as my hair this morning or when Carolyn made me wear slim cut khaki capris with a thin gold belt, wedge sandals, and a silky green sleeveless top to move in to my dorm. They had said that meeting your roommate for the first time was as important as a job interview. If your first impression was a bad one, she could be hiding snakes in your bed by the end of the first week.

  As Max parked and jumped out of the car, I checked my makeup one last time in the mirror and put on some lip-gloss. My hair had already started to become untamed from the car ride up, so I tried to smooth it into a ponytail. It didn't exactly look smooth, so I tied it into a bun that became a messy knot in an attempt to go for the messy-on-purpose look. I know a messy bun did not go with my outfit, but what can you do? It really is the only purposeful thing I can do with my hair.

  Max opened my door rolling his eyes. "Come on, Miss America. We don't have all day. Why do you even care what some girl thinks of your hair?" Max must have seen the wheels turning in my head because he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, laughed, and mussed my hair. I hated when he did that, but I knew it is way of telling me that I was being ridiculous. I rolled my eyes then pushed him away. How could he be so easy going? He was meeting his roommate for the first time as well.

  Once we made it over to my parents’ car, I saw Daddy had wasted no time hiring some college boys to unload the car and move my stuff. They were already taking my luggage toward the stairs.

  "Where to?" The big one with the shaved head and goatee asked.

  “Three-oh-two. Thanks." I had that room number memorized since the day in May when I received my room assignment with the name and phone number of my roommate.

  He grunted while he carried two of my suitcases up the steps while his shorter friend grabbed a large plastic container with my carefully packed bedding. Max and I each grabbed a load and headed inside. Since the elevator was packed, we took the stairs to the third floor. We were carrying fairly light loads, so it wasn't bad, but navigating the crowd was a bit cumbersome to say the least.

  When we finally opened the door to my room, I gasped. It looked like someone hosed the place down with Pepto Bismol. My first thoughts were No. No. No.

  When my roommate had emailed that she wanted to use pink as the colors in our room, and she wanted our stuff to match, I didn't mind because I knew my mother would find something tasteful in pink, or at least so I thought. I was already annoyed that my mother found something frilly with eyelet lace, but I was willing to overlook that because it is what my new roommate wanted. I never expected this.

  She had a pink comforter with pink pillows, a pink lamp with a pink lamp shade, a pink picture board above her bed, pink shelves beside her bed, and none other than a pink laptop on the desk. I had never seen so much pink. Shelby from Steel Magnolias could learn a thing or two from this girl about decorating with pink. It was my new roommate's ‘signature color’ as well.

  After taking it all in, I looked over at my mother who was smiling like she won the roommate lottery. I turned around to Max who had his lips pressed together tightly and tears at the lids of his eyes because he was trying so hard not to laugh hysterically. He knew I wasn't excited about pink, but this was too much.

  Then I heard a squeal of delight come from the other door in the room. "Oh! Margaret! Finally! I’m so glad y'all are here."

  Arms wrapped around me as I plastered on a smile and gave a one-arm hug to the stranger trapping me in an uncomfortable embrace.

  "You must be Sarah.” My mother said politely as she held out her dainty hand to the bouncy girl who was to be my new roommate.

  "Why, yes of course. You must be Mrs. Miller. Nice to meet you." She took my mother's outstretched hand. Before giving my mother a chance to answer, she turned to Max, "Are you Margaret's brother or boyfriend?" Max’s eyes glimmered with humor. He loved this question and was prepared with a slew of outlandish responses.

  "Neither!” I jumped in before Max could say something ridiculously embarrassing. “This is my best friend, Max. We grew up next door to each other. He’s going to be living in the boy’s dorm next door."

  "Oh. I see.” She didn’t see at all. “So, I’ll be seeing a lot of you Max?" Sarah said with a wink and a smile on her face a she held out her hand to Max.

  Was she flirting with him? I mean I guess he was good looking. I never really noticed or cared to be honest. Girls at school always liked him, but I kind of always thought it was slim pickings at our small school. Max was tall and lean with a mop of dark brown curly hair. He had a perfect smile, so I was guessing other girls would consider him attractive. Too bad for Sarah, Max loved Asian girls, I mean loved them, not skinny blond sorority-looking girls with legs as long as the Nile. He thought Lucy Liu was the best thing to ever happen to Hollywood and made me watch Charlie's Angels six times the summer it came out. He would kill me if I told anyone that though.

  "Oh. Uh. Nice to meet you too, Sarah,” He responded uncomfortably.” Yeah. I’ll be around. Maggie and I have similar schedules and study together.” He grimaced as he shifted the box in his arms. “Um. Can I get in there to put this stuff down?"

  "Of course. I’m so sorry. Your movers already dropped some of your stuff in front of your closet. What do you think of the pink?"

  For the first time in my life, I was grateful for my mother. She chimed in just in time and sincerely said, "It is lovely Sarah. I love how you coordinated everything so one shade is represented somewhere
in each fabric you chose. Margaret has a little green in her fabric, but her pink is almost the identical shade as yours."

  "Thank you. My mama had everything made for me. It matches my room at home, so there was no question as to which shade of pink I was pickin’. Well I'll get out of y’alls hair so you can unpack. My parents are waitin’ in the car to take my brother and me to lunch. See ya soon." As she grabbed her Chanel purse then headed out the door. She put a hand on Max's shoulder and quietly said, "I hope to see you soon as well." She wiggled her fingers at us as she headed down the hall.

  When she was gone, Max and I stood frozen for a moment before we made eye contact. I laughed and told Max that he had at least one admirer already. He threw a pillow at me. Before I could throw one back, my mother snapped, "Margaret Anne. You start unpacking or Maxwell will end up sleeping in your car with all of his stuff."

  "Mother, we don't have to unpack everything right now. I’ll put most of the stuff away and hang my clothes later."

  "You will do no such thing. Your father and I are here to help you both get settled which is what we are going to do. I’ll hang clothes; you make your bed. I don’t want to see any wrinkles in that bed."

  I turned around so she wouldn’t see me roll my eyes and muttered, “Yes ma’am.”

  Max was already at my desk setting up my computer and iPod dock. He helped Daddy choose every top of the line apple product for me for the last two years for birthdays, Christmases, and graduation. I now had everything an Apple fan could want. Thank you, Steve and Steve. I was a walking advertisement for Apple. Max insisted they were the best even though he also had a pc that he uses as well as all of his Apple gadgets he had collected.

  After unpacking and storing my belongings, we grabbed the empty boxes then headed back to the car where Daddy was sitting with one hand holding his iPad and the other holding his phone in his ear while he was dealing with whatever crisis came up on his Saturday. I imagine he was trying to give my mother time with me before she goes home to an empty nest, but that was a fruitless cause. He hung up as we arrived, "How's it look?"

  "Pink." I grumbled.

  "Aw. You'll get used to it, kid. Did you like Sarah? You met her, right?"

  "Yeah. She's nice. She likes Max." I said with a smirk.

  "Come on! She was just being friendly."

  Daddy laughed and told Max to watch out for the friendly ones. That was how he ended up with my mother. Max rolled his eyes. I knew he was thinking how blond hair blue eyed Sarah was definitely not his type. I was busy wondering when my mother was ever friendly, but I kept that thought to myself.

  Max’s room was on the second floor of his dorm. His roommate wasn't there yet, so he chose the bed by the window with the extra shelving space above his desk. I was sure the shelves were meant for textbooks, but Max would need it for all of his technology. Daddy helped carry his boxes up while my mother and I immediately started making his bed and hanging his clothes. His mom wanted to come help him move in, but her sister who lives in Florida was really sick and needed help. Suzanne had been down there all week. I suspected that she didn't really want to have to say goodbye to Max since he was her only child. It wasn't the first time she sent him with my family to keep him from seeing her get upset. He used to come over whenever Suzanne was having an episode, so he stayed with us on and off over the years. I loved when he stayed over especially when Daddy was out of town because it was the only time that I felt like I wasn’t the odd one out.

  When we had Max’s bed made, my mother started rearranging the shirts I had already hung in his closet. He tried to stop her, but she gave him one of her looks, and he immediately backed off knowing better than to challenge her. Daddy worked with Max setting up his computer. Daddy was fascinated with all of the gadgets, and they, thankfully, filled the otherwise silent room with comfortable chatter.

  I was stacking Max’s textbooks on the shelf above the head of the bed when I heard a rustling at the door and then a bag drop. A deep voice said, "Uh. Max?"

  We all looked up to see the most beautiful dark eyes. Something caught in my throat and my heart started pounding wildly. I pressed my lips together tightly so the giggle that came with the shiver up my spine wouldn’t escape. Tall, dark, and handsome had nothing on this guy. His messy dark hair complemented his dark eyelashes giving him the bad boy look that only got better as I glanced down his body. He was tall with lean muscles, which was obvious from the way his charcoal grey polo shirt was pulled across his chest from a strap that looked to be connected to a guitar case. It was a little cliché, but it worked for him. His faded blue jeans were met with a pair of black Nike tennis shoes making me think he had to be an athlete and the hottest eighteen-year-old known to man.

  Daddy pulled me out of my hot man trance when he responded with furrowed eyebrows, "Definitely not, son. That’s my daughter. She lives in the girls’ dorm over yonder. This here is Max, your roommate." Daddy patted Max’s back and stood directly in front of me blocking my view. I knew this was his way of warning him off his sweet, innocent daughter. Darn you, Daddy!

  "Hey. Parker, right? I'm Max. This is Jim and Karen Miller, and this is my best friend Maggie Miller." Max said as he got up to shake the gorgeous guy’s hand. Holy shit. Max touched the hot guy. If only cooties were real. I could get the hot guy’s cooties if I grabbed Max’s hand. It would be so worth it. Maybe I should offer to shake his hand. That would be the friendly thing to do. Daddy would probably throw me back in the car and lock me away in a tower if I tried that.

  "Hey. Nice to meet you. I guess this is my bed." He pointed to the bed on the opposite wall where he threw his gigantic black duffle bag and guitar. His shirt lifted a little when he removed his guitar case from across his body, and I caught sight of his perfect six-pack and a little trail of hair that led…oh my! I had to bite my lip to control the embarrassed giggle that almost escaped from my mouth.

  "Yes, son.” Daddy turned around grabbing the top of my arm. “Karen. Maggie. Let's let these boys get situated. Max, we are going to get on the road. Maggie has my card, so you take Parker and Sarah out to dinner tonight to get acquainted. Parker, these two grew up next door to each other. They are family and inseparable, so you'll be seeing a lot of my little girl. You lay a hand on her; I'll cut your balls off. You understand me?" Daddy said with the look he gives when he is giving his final offer on something.

  "Daddy!" I somehow found my voice. I had never heard Daddy refer to male genitals let alone threaten to cut someone’s balls off. I was mortified.

  "Uh. Ahem. Yes, sir." Parker said awkwardly. Then Daddy stepped to the door, and I saw Parker grin. He grinned! This was so embarrassing.

  "Max, text me when you’re done with your computer." I started pulling Daddy out the door with both hands on one of his arms. Parker stepped to the side to let us pass with that grin still plastered on his face. I didn’t look up past that grin, but I knew his eyes were on me. I could feel them burning into me with their intense stare. I had never, and I mean never, reacted to a boy this way. Honestly I had never met anyone so good-looking in real life either.

  My mother stepped into the doorway with her calm grace and effortless manners, "Parker, it was lovely to meet you. Please excuse my husband and daughter for their outbursts. You will love living with Maxwell. Good luck to you two this year.” She turned back to Max who was still laughing at Daddy. “Maxwell, call your mother and take Jimmy up on his dinner offer. Go somewhere expensive." She said the last sentence with a wink then snuck out the door. I followed them down the hall and out of the dorm with my head down exasperated by my father and not my mother for the first time ever.

  Parker

  When I walked in the door to my new dorm, the first thing I saw was a perfectly round, heart-shaped ass leaning over my roommate's bed. As I traveled up her back, I notice the thin waist and the brown messy knot on her head. Her long toned arms were stretched where her small hands were trying to hang some colorful graphic on the wall above the
bed. For a second I thought I hit the jackpot getting a girl roommate. All I knew was that my roommate’s name was Max. That could have been a girl. Regrettably the girl and her perfect ass live next door.

  When I opened my mouth to ask which one was Max, an older, somewhat intimidating man stepped in front of the pleasant view and explained that she was not my roommate. Damn. When she turned around, the view only got better. She had big, bright eyes with long lashes and pink lips that I wanted to bite on first sight. As my gaze traveled down her body, I first noticed the swell of her breast. I’d be willing to bet my guitar that those were C's if not D's. With her perfectly toned figure and big bright eyes, she was gorgeous.

  Unfortunately, her father, who after introducing me to my new roommate, threatened to cut my balls off if I touched his daughter, pulled me from my reverie. No girl was worth that kind of trouble, not even one who looks like her.

  The girl, Maggie, and her parents left us, and then it was just the two of us. Max, my computer geek roommate, didn't look like a computer geek if you ignored the fact that he was setting up enough tech to launch a satellite into orbit. "Did you rob an Apple store or something?" I asked after taking in his tech as he plugged in a third power strip on the far wall of the dorm.

  "Huh?” He was surprised when I spoke to him. “Oh no. I worked there for a summer, but most of this is my dad's way of saying 'I love you even though I never see you, Son'." He shrugged humorlessly.

  I nodded thinking that sounded like my kind of dad. "Oh nice. My dad tells me he loves me by lecturing me and reminding me daily that I’m not living up to my “potential.” Do you mind if I turn on some tunes?" I used my fingers to indicate what I thought of the word ‘potential’ before I quickly changed the subject.

  "Nope. Go ahead. As long as it isn't country, I'm good."

  I started unpacking my books after turning on some music on my laptop. I filled my shelves and made a pile on my desk next to my bed. Once my clothes were in the closet and packed in the drawers of the plain wooden chest that all the dorms have, I picked up my guitar then sat on the bed. I fingered some chords of the songs that streamed from my computer to escape some of the awkwardness of sharing such a small space with a stranger, but I didn’t really play anything. I was not in the mood to play for a one-man audience right now, but holding the guitar calmed me down. The feel of the strings and the delicate weight of the wood in my lap was a sensory break for me. Today was stressful. Between the obnoxious text messages from a girl I banged a few weeks ago and Pop’s millionth “Don’t let me down” speech before I left, I could really use a beer and a jam session.